Review: Life With The Beatles

Robert Read

SHARING a journey through the sixties alongside the Beatles must have been quite an experience.

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Sweet Venues, Grassmarket

Here is one such story, that of Neil Aspinall, who went from schoolfriend to roadie and from tour manager to head of the Beatles’ Apple record label.

In this solo show, written by Davide Verazzani and performed by Ian Sexon, we are given a glimpse into Aspinall’s life with the Fab Four, as they write future hit songs in his old tour van or encounter their record producer George Martin for the first time.

He also witnesses as they struggle to deal with their ever increasing popularity.

Moving through the early years and the sacking of original drummer Pete Best, we reach the story’s focus, the recording of the Sgt Pepper album and in particular A Day in the Life.

It’s here, that Aspinall’s account of the Abbey Road sessions give Sexon the opportunity to create a picture of the day’s events, deftly moving through multiple conversations and asides amid the organised chaos, right down to the last note.

The Beatles story is a well documented one, but this snapshot from the life of a close confidante offers up another chance to explore it.